#PeriodProblems: The Beauty Routine You Need To Follow NOW

Ladies, those murderous cramps aren’t the only thing that could be getting us down. From breakouts, to bloating to irregular cycles, we all have our share of period problems. If you face these issues month after month then we help make life a bit easier for you.
We bring you expert advice to ensure that you look and feel much better during that time of the month than you ever thought possible. Our resident beauty guru and skin doctor to the stars, Dr. Rabia Malik answers all your nagging period beauty concerns.

What To Do About PMS Breakouts

Pre-menstrual breakouts are hormonally driven and very common. The spike in testosterone levels before and during your period coupled with stress can lead to PMS pimples. Girls with oily skin are more prone to these breakouts but as long as you have a good skin care routine they will hopefully be minimal.

Carefully remove all your makeup every night. Sleeping with your makeup on is a cardinal sin for your skin.

Don’t touch your face, keep your hands off!

Make sure to sleep on a clean pillowcase and use clean makeup brushes.

Giving into those PMS cravings and binging on chocolates won’t help. A balanced diet rich in antioxidants will help give you clearer skin.

If you are getting deep, painful, cystic type spots before your period every month, you may benefit from some blood tests (to look for any underlying hormonal imbalances) or from taking the contraceptive pill to help regulate your hormones.

Dealing With Irregular Periods

Irregular periods can be caused by a number of different factors, including diet/nutritional status, stress, excessive exercise, travel and sleep disturbances. Hormonal imbalances also cause irregular periods. An improved lifestyle can help regularize it.

Catch up on 8 hours of shut-eye daily and cut down on those late nights. Seriously, it’ll do wonders for your all your health concerns.

None of us are immune to the temptations of digging into a Mcdonald’s burger or a cheese pizza, but limit the junk food to once a week. An unhealthy diet is one of the biggest culprits for irregular periods.

Keep fit. A super lazy lifestyle never helped anyone, so get exercising. But never to the point of overtiring and pushing yourself too hard, everyone deserves break days in between workouts.

It's important to see your family doctor so they can help uncover the underlying cause. You may need some to have some routine blood tests as well.

MUST Eat Food If Your Cycle Is Irregular

Nutritional deficiencies can lead to irregular or absent periods so eating a wide variety of whole foods is essential for a healthy menstrual cycle. Make sure you are getting enough:

Iron (munch on apples and spinach)

Vitamin C and B vitamins (fresh fruits and veggies)

Essential fatty acids (especially omega 3)

Good fats such as grass-fed animal fat (butter/milk/yoghurt - organic where possible)

Plant sources such as avocados and nuts.

Finally, ensure you have enough fiber and zinc in your diet -both of which help with hormone regulation.
A multivitamin supplement may help correct any nutritional deficiencies, but see your doctor/nutritionist first for more specific guidance.

How To Deal With Bloating

We’re no stranger to feeling as big as a bus during that time of the month. Mild bloating just before and during the beginning of your period is normal and due to fluctuating hormones. Follow these tips to help deal with bloating:

Make sure you have good digestive health and regular bowel movements by eating plenty of fiber and drinking water.

Bloating that is hormone related may be helped by generally eating well with lots of wholefoods.